Aftermath of Bury Your Dead
by pixiegold
Summary: Gibbs and Tony have a long talk as a result of events that transpired during Bury Your Dead. This story does not follow canon and contains some OOC. There is bashing of Tim and Ziva, there is also redemption. I forgot to add this when I first published ths story.
1. Making Things Right

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS or the characters portrayed on television. The story is mine.

**Summary:** Gibbs and Tony have a long talk as a result of events that transpired during Bury Your Dead. This story does not follow canon and contains some OOC. Will have some bashing of Tim and Ziva, there is redemption.

**A/N:** Betaed by the wonderful ncismom

Some of the revelations that are reached happen during the episode are internal so I don't see the need to "recreate" the entire episode to get my point across. There are spoilers for multiple episodes.

**Making Things Right**

Gibbs stared in horrified disbelief at the plasma screen in MTAC. He'd just watched DiNozzo and his car get blown to pieces. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts that nearly drove him to his knees. His friend just died right before his eyes. He wanted to hit something, someone. He glared murderously at Jenny who stepped back. This was all her fault, her and her vendetta against The Frog.

The Lead Agent took a deep breath, tamping down on his emotions except for anger. He would deal with his grief once he'd finished his job and caught the bomber. One thought ran through his mind as he and the rest of his team began to process the scene of DiNozzo's burned out car. He would find who was responsible for killing his second and then retire for good. One of the reasons he'd returned to NCIS was because of his younger friend. Once his memories began to return, he remembered Tony and his paternal feelings for the younger man. Now he'd lost his son so soon after grieving for his beloved wife and daughter a second time. There's only so much heartache a man can take.

Gibbs had been working at his desk while more recent memories swirled in his head despite his attempts to treat this as just another case so that he could solve it. His recollections made him wince. Even though DiNozzo was one of the main reasons he had returned, the Marine hadn't treated his younger friend very well at all. Gibbs had returned without telling his team, dumping the now former Team Leader's things back on his old desk. To make matters worse, he hadn't told Tony that he appreciated all the hard work his second had done while the older man got himself back together.

The Senior Agent mentally replayed McGee and Ziva's hurtful words and the things he witnessed that pointed to their poor attitude towards DiNozzo and he'd done nothing. Gibbs closed his eyes when he thought about Mike Franks knocking the young man out and he did nothing to Franks. He even allowed his old boss to walk after killing a man in cold blood.

Just where has his head been since he had returned from Mexico? Before his little sabbatical, the Marine wouldn't allow _anyone_ to hurt one of his people, especially Tony. Gibbs snorted. Who was he kidding? His head had been up his ass.

He rubbed his forehead when he thought about his unwarranted anger at Tony for keeping his undercover operation a secret. Looking back, he couldn't blame the younger agent for not confiding in him. The silver haired man had been keeping the younger man at arm's length; he just couldn't deal with the thought of losing his son like he'd lost his girls. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He'd been losing Tony anyway simply by pushing him away and now, he wouldn't get a chance to make things right.

Gibbs briefly wished he had been sitting down when Ducky told him that the body in autopsy wasn't DiNozzo's. His relief was so great that he'd locked his knees to keep them from buckling. His next thought was, _if the body wasn't Tony's where the hell was he_?

Later in Jenny's office Gibbs wanted to slap her for the way she treated Tony and the young man's pain. Shepard was the reason that DiNozzo had been undercover without proper back up. She was the reason he was almost killed. The damn woman was so focused on her vendetta, she'd allowed an undercover agent to get in too deep and get emotionally hurt. On the other hand, he was proud of Tony and how he'd stood up to Shepard.

Gibbs stood to follow Tony out of Jenny's office, stopping at the door. He turned to face a fuming Director. "Once the reports are done, my team is taking the rest of the week off."

The Director spluttered angrily. "You can't do that Agent Gibbs! I'm still director here."

The irate man stormed back, leaning into Jenny's space to intimidate his old partner. "Watch me, Madame Director. You endangered _my_ agent in an undercover operation without proper back up because you're obsessed! You've crossed the line, Director. You're obsession nearly got DiNozzo killed. Try and use my people in your little games again and your career will be _over_! Don't think that I can't _or _won't make it happen."

"Don't make me laugh. You don't know how to play politics!"

A feral smile danced on the Marine's lips. "Have you ever known me to say things I don't mean or can't carry out? Just because I don't play the political game, doesn't mean I don't know how."

Gibbs stared at his former lover for another minute before heading for the door. He paused and continued without looking at her. "Take us off rotation for the weekend too." The agent closed the door firmly behind him, resisting the temptation to slam it shut.

Gibbs caught up with Tony after his "discussion" with Jenny and invited him over that night. They needed to talk-Gibbs wasn't going to waste a second chance to get his son back. He also wanted to help Tony with the pain he was trying so hard to hide. Having DiNozzo close by might help keep any nightmares about burned bodies and blown up cars at bay.

xxxxx

Tony stepped out of his rental car staring at his destination. He almost didn't come; his heart was heavy over losing Jeanne. Remembering the look in Gibbs' eyes earlier changed his mind. Those eyes reflected the devastation that the older man felt thinking he was dead. He'd felt the same way when he thought the Marine had been blown up while helping Ziva. The young agent knew the Lead Agent cared, even if the man hadn't been treating him very well lately. He hoped that the two of them would talk tonight. He had missed his friend and mentor the last few months.

Looking at Gibbs' house, the young man was assaulted by memories of talks in the basement, eating cowboy steaks or just watching his friend work on his boat while sorting through his thoughts. He realized that he hadn't been here since the Marine returned from Mexico. Tony walked around to the passenger side of his car to grab the six pack of beer he had picked up on the way. He decided that coming here had been a good idea; he really didn't want to be alone.

Tony opened the front door smiling when he smelled one of his favorite foods next to pizza, cowboy steaks. "Hi, Boss," he greeted the older man as he entered the living room after removing his shoes.

"DiNozzo. Steaks are almost done, we need plates," Gibbs said gruffly.

Tony headed to the kitchen area to grab plates, utensils and placing all but two of the beers in the fridge, he returned with the needed items. The steaks and potatoes were eaten in silence. Neither man wanted to have a heavy conversation while eating.

Once the meal was eaten and the dishes washed, the two men returned to the living room and sat on the sofa placing their new bottles of beer on the coffee table.

xxxxxx

Gibbs cleared his throat to gain Tony's attention. "Seeing your car explode…thinking you…" The younger man placed a hand on his arm in silent support. After a moment he continued. "I did some thinking. I realized that we haven't been as close as we were before the explosion and Mexico. When I woke up, I'd lost nineteen years of my life. It felt like I was back in the military hospital after finding out Shannon and Kelly had been killed." He paused, too distressed to continue.

If the older man hadn't been so distressed he would've jumped when his companion put an arm around his shoulders. It was not something that he'd ever seen DiNozzo do for anyone before, let alone him.

Jethro Gibbs had never accepted comfort from anyone for the loss of his girls, but it felt right to accept it from Tony, who was family. It felt good; it was what he needed even if he couldn't bring himself to ask for it.

"Over the next days, I remembered bits and pieces of my life after losing my girls. I remembered Mike Franks and you mostly. But I knew my memories and mind weren't 100%. When I had to stand and watch that ship blow up despite my best efforts, I lost another piece of myself and had my beliefs go up in smoke. I couldn't handle being an agent or staying in D.C."

Gibbs pulled back a little, but not enough to dislodge Tony's arm so he could look the younger man in the face. "I'm going to break one of my own rules. I'm sorry, Tony. I left without telling you why I needed to go. I'm sorry if you felt abandoned, I didn't remember enough to realize the impact my leaving like that would have on you."

"Boss, you…"

The Marine held up his hand, "I _do_ need to do this Tony. You earned more than a 'you'll do'. You deserved more from me. Once we worked together a few months I realized that I had found more than a good agent, I found a good friend. Before that explosion you had become family, my grown up son. The explosion did take those memories but I had enough of them to know you'd do an excellent job of leading the team. You excelled as team leader despite what either Tim or Ziva thought.

"The way I came back didn't help you any. I'm sorry, I know now that I made you feel like all your hard work meant nothing. I'm a bastard, but what I did then was beyond my normal bastard ways. I unintentionally enforced McGee's and Ziva's idea that you were a bad lead agent. Nothing could be further from the truth. I heard some of the things that Ziva and McGee have said since I returned. I shouldda said something to the two of them for how they acted at the time, but I was still struggling to remember things. I'm going to say something to them on Monday. You deserve their respect, you've always had mine."

"Thanks Boss." Tony spoke quietly, apparently stunned. "I—ah always saw you as a mentor, a man to emulate from the beginning. I don't know what a real father's supposed to be like but I think you'd make a great Dad. K-Kelly was a lucky little girl. I'm sorry I never got to meet her." The younger man looked down after giving Gibbs an unsure glance.

The silver haired man swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Kelly would've loved to have you as a big brother."

Tony looked up, eyes wide, clearly surprised. "Really Boss?" he asked as a bright smile formed.

The silver haired man smiled sadly, "Yeah, really."

The two men sat quietly for a few moments trying to get their equilibrium back. Neither man was prone to emotional conversations but they had needed it.

Gibbs waited for his young friend to look at him before continuing. "Tony, I want you to remember that you can always come to me if you need to talk. I let you down when I found out about the Frog. I was angry you didn't tell me. I didn't have the right after the way I've acted since returning. You were under orders and the two of us had been off kilter since I returned. Together, we're going to make things better."

The Senior Field Agent smiled looking grateful, "I'd like that Boss. I've missed the man I followed from Baltimore."

"I'll deny if anyone else asks, but I missed nights like this."

The young agent's smile turned shy. "Me too. Maybe we could do this every week when our case load allows?"

The Senior Agent nodded. "I think we could do that. Come on DiNozzo, I have a boat to work on, we can talk more if you want."

The two men stood up. "I'll grab the beer and meet you down there, Boss."

Gibbs laid a hand on Tony's arm to get his attention. "My friends call me Jethro."

Staring wide eyed, the younger man answered, "I'll try, Bo—Jethro."

The two men spent their days off hanging out together and reconnecting. They talked about Gibbs' leave as Tony insisted they call it instead of his failed attempt at retiring. Jethro spoke sparingly about Shannon and Kelly; it was still too painful for him to talk about them at length. In turn, Anthony opened up some about his childhood giving his older friend a better understanding of the attention seeking behavior.

The Marine vowed to himself that he would be less sparing with praise for his Second and the excellent work the younger man did. They talked about the difficulties the Senior Field Agent was having with McGee and Ziva. The Team Lead had _not_ been pleased when he learned that the two junior agents earned a couple of reprimands while he was away; those two could either straighten up or they'd be off his team. Jen could squawk all she wanted but it _would_ happen.

Gibbs started teaching Tony how to work with wood. It helped the two men to get closer and they could talk or work quietly depending on their mood. By the time the two returned to work they were back on an even keel.

**TBC**


	2. Preparing for Change

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS or the characters portrayed on television. The story is mine.

**A/N:** Story betaed by the awesome ncismom. Thanks to all who have read, reviewed and follow the story. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**Preparing for Change**

Gibbs and DiNozzo arrived at work early on Monday morning. The Lead Agent pulled a few random records from the cases handled while he was on leave as well as McGee and Ziva's files. He needed to see for himself the work that the junior agents did or didn't do. The more he read, his anger turned into rage. It was clear that Tony had done the lion's share of the work _while_ working undercover.

Meanwhile, the other two agents did the minimum amount of work they could get away with doing. His ire continued to grow when he noticed that a few other agents had filed complaints about the duo. What had Jenny been doing while he was gone? It became clear that she'd dropped the ball. He'd deal with Madame Director and find out why she didn't do anything to support DiNozzo.

It was time that McGee and David started treating his Senior Field Agent as the outstanding agent Gibbs depended on to get things done. At the very least, they would respect his Second's position and the chain of command or they would be off the team.

xxxxxxx

While Gibbs was reading, Tony was reflecting on the conversation he and Gibbs had about the formal reprimands for McGee and David he was currently filling out for their most recent bout of insubordination. The older man had been adamant that this be done and he had vowed to back his Senior Field Agent one hundred percent. The young man had been reluctant at first, not believing that he was worth the effort.

_**Flashback:**_

When Tony told Gibbs about his reluctance to fill out reprimands and why; he received a head slap. The Marine pointed his finger at him saying, "You are worth everything to me, Tony! If I have to choose between you and those two, I'll choose you, _every_ time! I chose you for my team. I knew you wouldn't stay in Baltimore and wanted to help you. Know this-I would have recruited you regardless of what happened with your ex-partner. You're better than good enough."

The Marine paused for a deep breath. "I chose you because I wanted to train the agent who'll replace me when I _do_ retire. I promoted you to Senior Field Agent even though there were other agents who had more experience than you at the time. I have _never_ regretted my decision. You are the best young agent I have _ever_ worked with bar none."

The older man placed his hands on Tony's face surprising him as he continued, "If I didn't make myself clear this weekend, _you_ are the son I always wanted. You are responsible for me feeling like I have family again after losing Shannon and Kelly. You come first. _Always_!"

The young man swallowed the lump in this throat, his self-worth boosted by his Mentor's unequivocal support. "Thanks, Gi…Dad." He said with uncertainty.

Gibbs smiled slightly as he stepped back dropping his hands. "It's time that McGee and David learn their place on the team. If they can't respect you and follow your orders, then they're off the team."

"Gottcha, Boss," Tony replied, smiling.

_**End Flashback**_

Anthony DiNozzo still felt awesome after spending the weekend with Gibbs and learning the true depth of the older man's regard. His own father didn't have the same faith in his biological son. Gibbs had been more of a father in the few years they had worked together than Senior had been to Tony his whole life. The fact that his mentor saw him as a son still blew him away. He now had the confidence he needed to fill out formal reprimands for the junior agents and know that he would be supported by his friend and boss. The Italian didn't feel the need to seek their approval anymore; he had all he needed from the Marine.

xxxxxx

Gibbs looked over at Tony and smiled. He could see that spending the weekend working out their relationship had been successful. The silver haired man knew the insecurities that plagued his younger friend weren't gone; they ran too deep for one weekend to get rid of them completely. He intended to make sure that this wonderful young man never doubted his place on his team and in his life again.

Gibbs stood up holding a file and his coffee cup drawing Tony's attention from his work.

"Gonna go see Duck and Abby. Have McGee and David work on cold cases like we discussed yesterday until I get back."

The young man looked at him with a mischievous glint in his eye, "I already requested that Dereks in cold cases, send me some of his nastiest cases. I suggested ones that had incomplete or unorganized notes." He quirked an eyebrow silently asking for what else was on the agenda. His Second smiled wickedly, "Well, they might have some trouble with their computers, and their desks too. Our computer genius and ninja chick won't know what hit them."

The Lead Agent laughed quietly as he headed for the back elevator. McGee and David were in for a rough time. It took a lot to make DiNozzo angry but he was vicious when angry, not even the Marine wanted to be on the receiving end of the younger man's ire. If those two thought Tony's harmless pranks were annoying, they were in for a rude awakening.

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Gibbs strode into autopsy.

"Ah, good morning Jethro. What can I do for you this morning?" Ducky asked, smiling.

"Duck. Need to talk to you."

"Certainly Jethro. Let us head to my office for some privacy. I would offer you some tea but I see you have your coffee," the ME observed as he headed to his office.

Once the two men sat down, Gibbs began. "I'm going to have a talk with McGee and David about their behavior towards DiNozzo."

The Scot nodded, "Good. It is about time you put a stop to Timothy and Ziva's boorish behavior towards Anthony since you went on your sabbatical, or whatever you wish to call your time in Mexico."

As the ME prepared to sit at his desk, he paused to look at the other man, "Did you know that they would argue with every order that Anthony gave them even when we were at a crime scene? They would do the bare minimum of work that he assigned them, leaving our young friend to work twice as hard, and staying late to complete the paperwork for the team. I know that he placed at least two reprimands in their files but it seems to me that it has not stopped them."

The Senior Agent's eyebrows drew together in anger. "No, I didn't know all of that. I knew about the reprimands for disrespect. I also know about the reports, I can tell who wrote them based on the writing style. I didn't know about the arguing." He sighed in frustration. "Tony doesn't think he's worth the effort of defending. I'm going to change that if I can. I need to talk to Abby." Gibbs finished as he stood up.

"Good luck, Jethro."

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Gibbs strode into Abby's lab, grimacing a little at her loud music. He grabbed the remote to her stereo turning it off.

"Hey!" Abby turned, looking outraged. Instead of snapping she hugged him saying rapidly, "Gibbs! What are you doing here? Where's my Caff Pow? You don't have a case. Something's wrong. What's wrong? Is someone hurt? What…?"

"Abs!" She closed her mouth with an audible snap. "Everyone is fine. Just need to tell you that I'm gonna talk to McGee and Ziva about their attitude towards DiNozzo for the last six months. I've let them disrespect him too long." He watched a look of guilt cross the Goth's face before she looked down. "I heard that your behavior towards DiNozzo wasn't much better than theirs, all because he was 'not Gibbs'. I recall some sort of shrine you had here for me. Did you even think about how that would make Tony feel? Or do you even care?"

Abby bit her lip before shaking her head no. "I didn't treat him right. I just missed you and he was trying to take your place."

"Abby, DiNozzo was given the team because I wanted him to lead and take care of all of you when I couldn't. He was trying to find his own way after having the team thrust at him unexpectedly. He may have stumbled in the beginning but he found his own way of leading the team and did a great job, just as I knew he would. And that was despite the problems that _all_ of you gave him. I thought he was your friend. Why did you turn your back on him? Didn't ya think that he missed me too?"

The Goth wiped a tear from her eye. "Tony didn't act like he missed you. He just took over and pushed us to get back to work." She was definitely stubborn.

Gibbs looked at Abby with disappointment. "He did exactly what I trained him to do. He did his job; he took care of you, Ducky, McGee and David. What did he get in return? Who took care of him? I'm very disappointed in you, Abby. You're not a child, but you're sure acting like one." With that, he left Abby to think about what he said. She needed to grow up and realize that the world didn't revolve around her.

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Meanwhile, McGee and Ziva had arrived in the bullpen.

"Morning, Tony," Tim greeted as he walked by his desk heading for his own.

"Good morning, Tony. Where is Gibbs? Is he in MTAC?" Ziva asked as she rounded the corner to her desk.

DiNozzo looked up from his work. "Morning, McGee, Ziva. Gibbs went to see Ducky and get some coffee. He wants you working on cold cases." The Senior Field Agent pointed to the box on the spare desk in their area. "There are plenty in there for you. Take your pick."

The younger agent looked up to see Ziva David looking at Tony crossly. "Why do we have to work on cold cases? You are not. I bet you are playing a game on your computer and leaving the real work to us."

McGee looked to see if she was right. He could see that the Senior Field Agent _was_ working. "Tony's doing paperwork, Ziva. I can see the form on his computer." The Junior Agent knew deep down that Tony _did_ do work despite appearances. That didn't mean he thought the other man should be Senior Field Agent or Gibbs' Second in Command. DiNozzo didn't have the education for it; he was just a jock who became an agent. These thoughts ran through Tim's head as he got up and grabbed a couple of cold cases to work on while his computer warmed up. He didn't want to incur Gibbs' wrath; he preferred living and keeping all of his limbs to the alternative.

McGee stopped in his tracks, shocked at Tony's icy tone as he responded to Ziva's snide remark. "I didn't ask your opinion, Zee-va. Gibbs wants you to work on cold cases. I have other work to do. I suggest you get to work, you wouldn't want the Boss to arrive and see you doing nothing." DiNozzo turned back to his work, clearly dismissing the Israeli woman.

The younger man cringed when she answered haughtily, "You are not the boss. I do not have to listen to what you say."

**TBC**


	3. Raking Them Over the Coals

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS or the characters portrayed on television. The story is mine.

**A/N:** Betaed by the wonderful ncismom. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and put this story on their favorite and/or follow list. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**A/N2:** If you're following this story I only added the A/N to the first two chapters and fixed the summary. If I was a professor, I could be the absentminded professor. LOL

**Raking Them Over the Coals**

Gibbs had been about to enter his area of the bullpen when he heard them talking and what he heard infuriated him. Rounding the corner the Lead Agent spoke angrily, "Is that so, David?" He watched her jump with satisfaction as he stopped in front of her desk to glare at her.

Ziva looked flustered as she tried to respond. "Gibbs…I"

"Save it. You and McGee, join me in conference room one." The furious man stepped towards Tony's desk, holding out his hand. The younger man handed him the reprimands which were added to the folder he was carrying. Gibbs looked in his Second's eyes wanting to know the state of mind of his friend. The slight smile he received allowed him to relax slightly. The Marine then spun on his heel knowing the two agents would follow.

Gibbs could hear them scrambling to follow him. His ire grew when he heard David say, "Are you not coming, Tony?"

The irate Agent paused to speak to her, but DiNozzo beat him to it. "Did you hear Gibbs ask for me?" The younger man went back to work, clearly dismissing the Liaison Officer.

McGee turned to Ziva, obviously understanding that they were in serious trouble. "Let's go, Ziva," the younger man hissed. "Gibbs is already pissed. Do you want to make it worse?"

She huffed but continued towards the conference room.

Standing just inside the door of the conference room, Gibbs stared hard at the Israeli as she entered, forcing her to avert her eyes.

The Marine indicated for them to sit in the two chairs across from him. He opened the folder he was carrying while waiting for his two agents to comply. Looking up at the two miscreants sitting in front of him, he placed some of the papers he'd collected in front of them. "Explain these."

The two looked down to see the reprimands Tony had filed while he was team lead.

Ziva scoffed, waving her hand dismissively at the reprimands. "Tony was on a power outing while you were gone. He thought that he was in charge. We made sure he understood the error of his ways."

Gibbs stared at her with contempt, purposefully making her uncomfortable before speaking. "DiNozzo wasn't on a _power_ _trip_. He was doing his job as my _Second in Command._ He was in charge until I returned. If I had decided to retire for good, his promotion would have been permanent. Apparently, it was a mistake to think you learned about the chain of command at Mossad David. What about you McGee? Do you need a refresher course at FLETC on the chain of command?"

The junior agent shook his head refusing to meet the Team Leader's eyes.

Officer David didn't seem to realize the trouble she was really in as she answered scornfully. "I did learn the chain of command. But there is no way that Tony is my superior. He is the team's clown relief. Tony is not a proper agent. I do not understand how he is still…"

xxxxx

McGee really wanted to crawl under the table as he listened to Ziva. He decided that she must be suicidal. Listening as the Liaison Officer made Tony sound like a complete imbecile made him wonder why he'd followed her lead. Tony DiNozzo may act like an idiot but you didn't stay on Gibbs' team if you actually were a moron.

When she'd misused the idiom comic relief he'd automatically opened his mouth to correct her but shut it just as quickly. Ziva David might be willing to incur the wrath of Gibbs. On the other hand, he knew they were in trouble and was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

Gibbs slammed his hand on the table, shutting the woman up and derailing McGee's train of thought. "DiNozzo's the best agent I've ever worked with and he is by far a better agent than you could ever be David! Do you really believe that I would keep _anyone_ on my team that can't do the work to my satisfaction? You'd have to ask records how many agents I went through before hiring DiNozzo." Tim McGee squirmed when the older man's intense stare was turned on him. "You have anything to say McGee?"

The agent shook his head as he stuttered, "N-no Boss."

Tim looked blankly at the new set of papers Gibbs placed in front of him and Ziva. "These reprimands are for your continued disrespect towards my Senior Field Agent. It's on me that I allowed your behavior to continue. It stops _now_." Gibbs stood up, putting his folder back together before striding towards the door.

The Marine's voice knocked the Junior Agent out of his stupor.

"You both should look up the requirements for becoming a Senior Field Agent, you might learn something. DiNozzo is my Senior Field Agent and Second in Command. You _will_ show him respect for those positions even if you think he's the 'comic relief'. If you can't, then you don't respect me. _I_ chose DiNozzo for my team. I did _not_ choose you David. _I_ promoted him when we were both ready. There are _always_ agents wanting the job but I didn't want them, I had who I wanted for the position. I trust him to do the job right. If you continue to disrespect DiNozzo I'll kick you off my team. And David? You ever disobey an order from DiNozzo again or speak to him the way you did earlier, I'll put my boot so far up your ass you'll be spitting dirt out of your mouth!" Gibbs left, closing the door firmly behind him.

McGee slumped in his seat thinking that the Marine had never come down on him like that before, not even when he had accidently sent him to the house full of women.

Ziva spoke angrily, "I do not believe this! We will have to follow orders from Tony. He is so unprofessional; I still do not understand how he became an agent."

Tim stared at the woman next to him, seeing her clearly for the first time. He was ashamed that he'd followed her lead and acted like a petulant child instead of a Federal Agent. Listening to Gibbs and thinking about that time made the Junior Agent realize that was exactly how he'd behaved.

Tony DiNozzo may have teased him but he was _always_ there for Tim when he needed help, an ear to listen, or to teach him what was needed to do the job. How could he have forgotten what Tony had done for him?

He stood abruptly. "Shut up, Ziva. Tony is a good agent and has been a good friend. I've been stupid, treating him like he's an idiot. I forgot that Gibbs doesn't suffer fools. You can continue to treat Tony badly and lose your place on the team if you want, but don't try and drag me down with you anymore." It felt good to stand up for himself and do what was right.

xxxxx

After leaving the conference room, Gibbs headed to Jenny's office. He was pissed that she didn't do her job and back Tony up during his tenure as Lead Agent. He strode past Jenny's assistant, straight into her office.

"What can I do for you, Jethro?" Director Shepard asked as she took off her glasses.

"You told me that DiNozzo did an excellent job as Team Leader while I was in Mexico. You told me that I should tell him that and thank him for his hard work." He raised an eyebrow in question.

She nodded, forehead scrunched in obvious puzzlement.

The Marine pulled out the reprimands and tossed them in front of his former probie. "Then maybe you can explain why you did nothing about these reprimands filed by DiNozzo against McGee and David?"

Shepard stared at him with wide eyes before responding. "I didn't feel that they were that serious. The team needed time to adjust and they did, their closure rate remained almost as high as it was before you left. Actually, the closure rate for the MCRT only dropped by one percent."

He leaned over her desk so that his eyes were level with hers. "You didn't investigate the reprimands at all or you would have discovered that DiNozzo was completing _all_ of the paperwork. _All of it!_ He didn't feel comfortable giving McGee the Senior Field Agent paperwork because he knew he'd end up doing it himself anyway. This was on top of fulfilling _your_ undercover operation. You're lack of action gave those two the guts to argue with _every_ order DiNozzo gave them, no matter where they were!"

"That's not possible. The closure rates would've dropped more than it did."

He slammed his right hand on her desk in anger. "They didn't drop much because DiNozzo is _that_ good. If you'd done your damn job, instead of chasing the Frog, the closure rates wouldn't have dropped at all! You're so obsessed with The Frog that you allowed blatant disrespect and two people to believe they could do whatever they wanted! You're damn lucky nothing happened to DiNozzo because of your negligence. No one would find the body!" He stood to his full height. "If I even suspect you're still not doing your job, I'll go to SecNav and let him know what you've been doing with NCIS resources."

She jumped to her feet replying angrily, "You can't do that Jethro! I'll remind you of your hunt for Ari…"

Gibbs interrupted her barely keeping a lid on his temper, "How _dare_ you compare the two! Ari infiltrated NCIS; shot Ducky's assistant he then _killed_ one of my people! I was driven to get him but I still _did my damn job_! I still investigated crimes, closed cases. _You_ dropped the ball and allowed two agents to disrespect their superior because you were more interested in your personal vendetta. You ignored your responsibilities to NCIS to hunt the Frog! I wonder who else suffered because of your obsession! You broke rule number eight, trust but verify. You didn't verify. Never again. I've already spoken to McGee and David because they've continued their disrespect since I've returned and that's on me for letting it continue. One more incident and I'll kick the guilty agent off my team. Even David." He stormed out of Jenny's office slamming the door.

xxxxxx

Jenny sat back down before her legs could give out on her. She'd forgotten how intimidating Gibbs could be when he was pissed. Once the shaking stopped, she picked up the reprimands and read them thoroughly like she should have the first time instead of just skimming them. Damn, she really did drop the ball and had allowed numerous accounts of inappropriate behavior to continue. All because she _was_ too busy trying to catch The Frog. The Director couldn't get the look in Jethro's eyes out of her mind. They condemned her for her actions and lack of concern she'd given to the agents in her care.

Shepard dropped her head into her hands as the fog of vengeance finally lifted. What had she done? She could have gotten one of her agents killed because of her fixation on avenging her father's death.

Her father would be very disappointed in his daughter's behavior. She had allowed her obsession to come before her duty to NCIS and its agents. He would have never wanted an innocent killed on his account. It was bad enough that she was responsible for hurting Tony and Jeanne Benoit emotionally. Jenny sat up straight. It was time to be a good Director for NCIS and try to make up for her mistakes. It is truly what her father would have wanted. And maybe, she had a chance to earn Gibbs' respect again.

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Meanwhile, Tony was working his way through a Team Gibbs' cold case from just before he started. This was the first time he'd had the opportunity to really look at it. He was also surreptitiously watching the junior agents for their reactions to his little surprises.

McGee had returned from the conference room first and headed straight for him. "Tony, I owe you an apology. I've been an arrogant ass. I hope you can forgive me."

The Senior Agent sat back studying his probie. The younger man was sincere. "I can, in time. Just remember, I may mess around but I will always have your six in the field."

"I will Tony. I'll watch your six better than I have been, I promise."

The two men settled in to work as Ziva returned to the bullpen. She went straight to the pile of cold cases grabbing two of them and returning to her desk glowering all the way.

DiNozzo had not expected her to apologize; that would mean admitting she was wrong and the Mossad officer was too sure of her abilities to believe she could be wrong about him. He shrugged inwardly. She wouldn't last long on the team. It might be for the best this way; he wasn't sure he trusted her anymore.

Tony hid a smile when he heard the other two begin grumbling about the cases they had being a mess, incomplete and illegible handwriting to name a few of the problems they were encountering. Dereks had really come through for him. He'd have to remember to send the man a few new flies for his annual fly fishing trip.

Gibbs returned his expression reminiscent of a dark thunder cloud right before lightening strikes. The Senior Field Agent hoped the computer troubles he'd set up for the two miscreants didn't set the man off, even if he knew they were coming.

Tony was about to find out how the Marine was going to react when David's computer started playing Baha Men's song, _Who Let the Dogs Out_, except it sounded like the Chipmunks were singing it. He watched as Ziva glared at her computer before hitting several keys. When that didn't work, she started shaking the monitor, which really hadn't been a good idea. The computer changed the song to _Wannabe _by the Spice Girls.

"David, shut that thing off if you can't get it to stop!" the Lead Agent barked at her before looking at him and winking.

DiNozzo nearly sagged in relief as he returned his attention to the file in front of him. He wasn't going to get head slapped for his antics.

The Spice Girls stopped singing before the computer was shut off, although Ziva would be plagued by many different annoyances throughout the day.

Next was McGee's turn to be embarrassed. He watched the junior agent out of the corner of his eye and smiled internally when the younger man jumped when his computer roared at him.

McGee blinked at his computer uncomprehendingly as it began playing _Walk the Dinosaur_by Was(Not Was).

"You may want to fix that Probie before Gibbs blows a gasket." Tony took pity on the younger agent. He hadn't made his revenge on Tim too severe believing that he would pull his head out off his ass long before Ziva ever would.

xxxxxx

By the end of the day McGee vowed to never get on Anthony DiNozzo's bad side again. The cold case files had been bad enough but the antics that Ziva's computer went through on and off during the day made him realize that Tony wasn't as computer illiterate as he pretended to be. As he left for the day, he decided he preferred being super glued to his keyboard. That was annoying but quickly solved. Having your computer start playing songs like _Barbie Girl, Bye, Bye, Bye,_ and other such annoying songs at random times during the day. The killer was that the songs would stop playing just before she could turn the computer off. She tried shutting down the computer and restarting it, that had been a mistake. Once the computer was up and running again a tinny voice said, "What did you do that for? Now I've lost my place and I'll have to start from the beginning again." And that's exactly what happened, the first song that played was _Who Let the Dogs Out?_ and so on. Nope, he was never, ever going to piss off DiNozzo again.

**TBC**

A/N: I found these songs on Rolling Stones list of "The 20 Most Annoying Songs" from 2007. I actually like some of the songs but they can be annoying in certain circumstances. LOL


	4. The Case

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS or the characters portrayed on television. The story is mine.

**A/N:** Thank you to my wonderful beta ncismom.

Thank you to all those who have read, reviewed, favortied and follow this story. You guys are awesome. Hope you enjoy the latest installment!

**The Case**

If McGee and David thought that what Tony had done to them on the day that Gibbs laid down the law about their behavior was bad, they quickly discovered that it was just the beginning. The next two weeks were a clear demonstration to everyone in the bullpen why it was not a good idea to piss off Anthony DiNozzo.

The random playing of annoying music was just the beginning. The computers would shut down for no apparent reason, or they would start beeping and nothing would stop the noise. One day, Ziva found all of her desk drawers had been saran wrapped; she had also found all of her paperclips looped together in a chain, super glued so that she couldn't break up the chain. Tim's computer was infected with a virus that caused a cartoon "Elf Lord" to pop up randomly, taking him and the IT guys two hours to clear it off the computer. Every time they thought they had it eradicated, the virus would come back.

All of this provided a great deal of amusement to the rest of the agents in the bullpen. They decided to help by humming or singing the annoying songs whenever Ziva or Tim passed them either in the halls or the bullpen area.

The pranks were bad but the paperwork was worse.

xxxxxx

Ziva found out that she hadn't been filling out the paperwork correctly when Tony placed a stack on her desk and said, "I've marked all of the mistakes that you've made on this paperwork. You need to do it over and make the corrections. I won't be doing it for you anymore. If you have a problem with this, see Gibbs."

She blinked a couple of times before standing up to angrily reply. "There is nothing wrong with the way_ I_ fill out the paperwork. _You _are trying to get me in trouble!"

Gibbs interrupted her tirade. "I asked DiNozzo to hand me your paperwork without making any corrections to it. I've recently become aware of the fact that he has been fixing it for you to meet my demands. That stops now. DiNozzo has orders to pass back any paperwork that needs correcting. If you don't fix it the first time he gives it to you than he will give it to me as is. If he has to do this, I will place a reprimand in your file for failing to complete your work, and for insubordination. Two of those will see you kicked off this team."

David stared at him in shock. This could not be happening. She had not really believed that the Lead Agent had been serious about needing to respect Tony. He probably made up the mistakes on her paperwork just to get her in trouble. She would show both men that she was the better agent.

xxxxxx

Tony had dumped a stack of paperwork on McGee's desk one day and said, "Since you think you should be the Senior Field Agent, here's the paperwork that needs to be done by the end of the week. Good luck and don't ask me any questions; ask Gibbs."

After looking through the stack of papers, McGee did as Gibbs suggested and looked up the requirements for a Senior Field Agent, discovering that the position required a Master's Degree and at least four years experience in law enforcement as an investigator*. Tony had a higher education and ten or so years of experience in law enforcement and at least five of them had been at NCIS. It would be sometime before he could become a Senior Field Agent since he would need to get a Master's Degree.

Tim did more research and discovered that his Master's degree was in criminology. It shouldn't have mattered what kind of education the older agent had; he was the most senior agent after Gibbs on the team.

DiNozzo may have mocked him, bestowed him with silly nicknames, but when he needed someone, Tony had been there. When had he become so arrogant that he looked down on a man who had been like a big brother to him? McGee figured that it started with the publication of his books and the success and praise he received for writing them. Ziva's disdain for Tony added fuel to the fire. Taking a long hard look at the person he was now compared to the one who started at NCIS, McGee didn't like the ass he'd become. So he tore down the pomposity and let the eager to learn agent out of his self made prison of self-importance. Losing the haughtiness was helped along by the pranks Tony played using computers; the older man was not the computer novice by any means.

Timothy apologized to both Senior Agents for his poor behavior. He also worked on improving his attitude so that it was natural to follow Tony's lead. He must have been judged as being sincere because the pranks directed at him stopped after the virus.

xxxxxx

Ziva refused to believe she was wrong about Tony and was resentful that she would have to obey him. She found the pranks to be evidence of his childishness instead of a form of punishment. Unlike McGee, she did not check the requirements for Senior Field Agent; it was not necessary in her mind.

Officer David wanted to stay with Gibbs' Team at NCIS, so she tried to hide her attitude by playing the role of a good little Mossad Officer, but underneath the façade, Ziva seethed and plotted. She was looking for proof that DiNozzo was incompetent and should be kicked out of NCIS. David did not understand why she had been unable to find anything so far, but she would keep looking.

xxxxxx

Gibbs and DiNozzo had been pleased with the return of the McGee that both men had liked and admired. On the other hand, they were disappointed, but not surprised, with Ziva's lack of attitude adjustment.

They talked about removing her from the team. The two men were concerned that she couldn't be trusted to back Tony up in the field if Gibbs wasn't present to keep her in line. She had to go. The issue came to a head sooner than either man thought it would when the Lead Agent had been shot in the arm during their last case and had to wear a sling and was placed on desk duty until Ducky was satisfied the wound was healed.

Gibbs sat at his desk pulling out the paperwork to request Ziva David be transferred to another team when his phone rang before he could even put her name on the first page.

"Yeah, Gibbs." The agent grabbed his pad and recorded the information, growing increasingly angry as he listened to the voice on the other end. "DiNozzo!" he barked as he slammed the phone down.

"Yes, Boss!" The younger agent jumped up and rushed to his desk.

"Two dead marines found on the shore of the Potomac just south of Quantico." The Senior Agent held out the information for his Second, frustrated because he couldn't go. He really didn't want Ziva part of the investigation but with him on desk duty there was no choice.

DiNozzo frowned as he took the note looking him straight in the eye. The older man conveyed with a look that Ziva's transfer would have to wait, this case was more important. The Senior Field Agent tipped his head slightly, acknowledging that the message had been received. "On it Boss!" Turning he gave orders, "Grab your gear! McGee, gas the truck. Ziva, call Ducky and tell him I'll send directions to Palmer. Let's hope he doesn't get lost."

Under other circumstances the older man might have smiled, but two dead marines ended any humor for him. He made sure to catch Ziva's eye glaring at her. "Do your job, David."

The Liaison Officer nodded with obvious reluctance before heading for the elevator.

"If you have problems, call Patterson or Balboa, DiNozzo."

Tony smiled slightly. "Gotcha Boss. I'll call when I have their names. Abby can start looking up their information, save us some time."

Gibbs nodded. He could do some of the research, but it would be faster for the Goth to do it since his left arm was still in a sling.

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Tony arrived in his agency sedan and didn't see the truck yet. Gibbs must be rubbing off on him. Of course, he'd given the keys to McGee; he wanted the younger man to get here in one piece. Once he parked, he put on his NCIS cap, grabbed his notebook, and got out of the car. The Senior Field Agent looked around, taking in the two cruisers and the four military vehicles. He looked for and found the highest ranking Marine and headed straight for him.

DiNozzo looked at the Marine's name tag and introduced himself. "I'm Special Agent DiNozzo from NCIS, Major Schaffer. Were they your men?"

The Major reached out to shake Tony's hand. "Yes they were. The one on the right is Gunnery Sergeant Harris and the other is Gunnery Sergeant Peters. They were good men. Both men worked in TBS*. Harris was in charge of rifle/pistol qualification and Peters was one of our best combat hunter instructors. I want whoever killed my men caught and strung up, Agent DiNozzo. I'll make sure that you get all the cooperation you need."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Major. You can be sure that we'll do our best. My boss is a retired Gunnery Sergeant and drives us hard to solve all our cases, but cases involving Marines makes us work even harder."

Schaffer tilted his head before asking, "Your boss wouldn't be Gunny Gibbs would he?"

The Agent realized that the Major was probably about the same age as Gibbs. "Yep. Did you serve with him?"

Nodding, the officer answered, "Desert Storm. Good man, Gibbs. Why isn't he here?"

"He was shot in the shoulder during our last case and his arm's still in a sling. He's on desk duty for the next week, otherwise he'd be here barking orders and demanding answers." Tony noticed the NCIS truck pulling up, so he pulled out a card, wrote Gibbs number on it and handed it to the Major. "Here's his phone number if you want to talk to him. It will help us if you can have the names of other personnel they worked with, and any problem recruit's files ready for us when we check out their offices at Quantico. We'll also need to be able to talk to as many of the people I mentioned as possible at Quantico. Actually, if you could send the information on the men, and the others to Gibbs, he can start digging up information while we work here or at Quantico."

Major Schaffer took the card, nodding. "Efficient. Gibbs taught you well, Agent DiNozzo. I'll call TBS to have the information you requested taken care of and have a room set up for you to use."

"Thank you, Major." The men parted ways.

Ducky and Palmer were just pulling up when DiNozzo reached the truck. "The victims are Gunnery Sergeants Harris and Peters. Major Schaffer is gonna have their information ready for us at Quantico and sent to Gibbs. The bodies are over there." Tony pointed towards part of the shore that couldn't be seen from the road. "Hey Duck, when you get a look at the bodies, can you try and confirm whether they were killed here or not? I could see that they had been beaten, but I didn't see any blood as I walked by the scene."

"I will be sure to let you know what I find. Come Mr. Palmer, we have work to do," the ME spoke genially as he headed for his patients.

"I'll just need to get the bags ready, Dr. Mallard." Jimmy headed to the back of the truck.

DiNozzo focused on his teammates. "McGee, sketch and photos. David, bag and tag."

He turned to leave when Ziva's snarky voice stopped him. "And what will you be doing while we do all the work?"

The Senior Agent turned back briefly to reply, "Do your job David and don't worry about what others are doing." He resumed heading for the LEOs to question the witness who found the bodies.

DiNozzo smirked when he heard his Probie snap at the Mossad Officer, "Knock it off, Ziva. You do know that Gibbs is ready to kick you off the team, don't you?"

The smirk died and he shook his head at her answer. "He will not do that to me. I am far too valuable to this team." Damn the timing of this case. He was really worried now. Maybe he could convince Gibbs to get a TAD or maybe they could borrow an agent from Patterson's or Balboa's team.

Once the team was finished with the scene he gave further instructions. "David, take the evidence back and log it in. McGee, you're with me. We have people to question and computers to dig through."

"Okay, Tony," McGee answered as he secured the camera equipment.

Ziva stepped in front of the sedan door stopping him from opening it. "Why don't you take the evidence back and let McGee and I do the important work?"

DiNozzo saw McGee stop what he was doing and stare at the Liaison officer in disbelief. "The senior agent is in charge of initial questioning*. That is policy, Officer David. _You_ are not an agent and McGee is a junior agent. Since Gibbs is desk bound, _I_ am the senior agent. I won't allow an investigation to be compromised because you don't like the assignment you've been given. This is the second time that I've had to tell you to do your job, David."

He glared at her until she moved out of the way with obvious reluctance, returning his glare and headed for the truck grumbling in Hebrew. "I really don't think that's anatomically possible, but it is creative. I have a gift with learning languages or didn't your profile tell you that?" He smirked at her shocked expression as he climbed into the car.

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Gibbs phone rang. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"_Boss, McGee and I are headed to Quantico to question some people. I spoke with their CO, Major Schaffer."_

The Lead Agent interrupted his second. "Jack Schaffer?"

"_The one and the same Boss. I gave him your number so he could contact you. He's going to make sure that we get all the cooperation we need. He said the two victims were good men. You should also be receiving information on the victims, other instructors, anyone else they worked with regularly and any problem officer recruits. They were instructors at TBS." Tony sighed before continuing, "Boss, there was trouble with Ziva."_

Irritated the Marine asked, "What kind of trouble?"

"_Well, she wanted to know what I was doing while she was bagging and tagging and McGee was on photos and sketches. Then she wanted me to take the truck back to the Yard so that she could do the important work with McGenius."_

"I'll take care of it. Don't bother calling again unless you have something important. The two of you can do your jobs without me looking over your shoulders." He snapped the phone shut before his friend could answer though he could picture a surprised but pleased look on the younger man's face.

Over an hour after he hung up the phone, Gibbs was looking over the information that he'd received on the dead marines. He'd sent the names to Abby, asking her to do a quick background check on the victims. The preliminary information he had on their records was exemplary. Just as he was closing the file on Peters, Ziva entered the bullpen. He looked at her, noting the anger and frustration clearly displayed on her face. Why was she in the bullpen already? The evidence should have taken at least a half an hour to log in and the drive from Quantico was about three quarters of an hour, even for him*. "Is the evidence all logged in, Ziva?"

The Mossad Officer shrugged as she sat behind her desk. "Tony can do it when he gets here. It should be his job, not mine."

The Senior Agent was ready to strangle the woman. He asked in a very dangerous voice, "Are you telling me that you have broken the chain of evidence by leaving it unattended, Da-veed?"

"I asked one of the guards to stay with the truck. The evidence is fine."

The Marine stood up and walked around until he was standing in front of her desk. Glaring at her he said, "You were told to log in the evidence by the Senior Field Agent, Officer David. You will go back to the truck and do the job you were given."

"I do not understand why Tony cannot do it. My time would be better used in helping you with the investigation," the woman responded, her body language displaying irritation.

"We don't need to explain ourselves to you, David. Now do as you're _told_!" He headed for the Director's office with a long angry stride. Gibbs paused on the steps when he realized she was still sitting at her desk. "_David!_" Ziva jumped looking up at him. "Move your ass!"

As the agent watched her, his ire grew as she walked towards the elevator with reluctance. Once the elevator doors closed he continued on his way. Damn. He wanted her off the team now, but he'd learned earlier that there weren't any TAD's available to take her place for at least a week. If they didn't have this case, she'd be gone. At this rate, he would do it anyway even if it made the team a man short.

The Lead Agent barely kept himself from storming into Director Shepard's office. His former partner looked up as he approached the desk. "When this case is over, David is off the team."

"What happened?" Shepard asked.

So he told her about what had happened so far that day, trying to remain calm, but he was still furious over David's attitude. She would get someone killed with her arrogance and lack of respect. Gibbs also made it clear that _he_ would be choosing a replacement.

xxxxx

Jen sighed heavily when the Senior Agent had finished. She had heard the rumors that Ziva was still causing problems. How could an officer in Mossad ignore the chain of command? Well it didn't matter. Gibbs was right; he didn't need someone who displayed such disrespect for a fine agent like DiNozzo. She had hoped that Ziva would have cleaned up her act after being dressed down by Gibbs. She was certainly doing her own job better since she'd been chewed out.

"You've made your point, Jethro. I'll take your team off rotation so that once this case is closed and you can begin looking for a replacement." She watched as her former partner left her office without acknowledging her response. Now she had a difficult call to make. Eli David would not be please with his daughter's behavior.

**TBC**

* TBS is the The Basic School where all newly commissioned Marine Corp officers are sent to learn the art and science of being an officer of the Marines. Information found at Wikipedia.

* I have no idea if this is fact but I chose to use it for my story.

* I have no idea how long it takes to drive from Quantico to the NCIS offices so I guessed. If I'm wrong, I'll be happy to correct it.


End file.
